An elephant welcoming his keeper, a homeless boy sleeping on a train and a snow-covered Brooklyn Bridge are just some of the remarkable images to have made the shortlist in Smithsonian magazine’s 9th annual photo contest.
The science and culture magazine have whittled down over 67,000 entries from 14,251 contestants ranging from 109 different countries to find finalists for their four different categories: nature, travel, people, Americana and altered.
Ultimately, the editors will select one winner out of the ten images in each category and one overall winner. The category winners will each receive $500 (£316) with the grand prize of a journey to Yosemite National Park going to whoever is crowned the best overall.
Check out this selection from the finalists, and to see more and vote in the special Reader’s Choice award, check out the Smithsonian website.